Woman arrested in moonshine case

by Wes Mayer

A woman was arrested as part of an investigation of a moonshine distillery recently discovered on Providence Church Road in Coweta County.

Allyson Bridget Owens McClendon, 50, is suspected of being involved in a moonshine still operation and was charged for the manufacturing, distribution, sale and use of alcohol on Sunday, said Coweta County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Col. Jimmy Yarbrough. McClendon owns the property on 391 Providence Church Road where the distillery was discovered.

The moonshine distillery was found during the search for a missing 78-year-old woman, Eleanor Alexander, in late July. Coweta County Sheriff’s Office investigators John Curtis and Jason Fetner were the first to stumble upon it in the home’s backyard.

Nine marijuana plants were also discovered growing in pots around the yard. The investigators seized the still and the marijuana plants.

The main suspect at the time was William Reeves Chatham, 30, who apparently fled the area. According to Yarbrough, Chatham has not been located yet.

Chatham has warrants in Coweta for the possession and manufacture of marijuana and the manufacture of distilled spirits with the intent to distribute.